Estonia’s Ambassador to Ankara, Väino Reinart, made statements regarding Türkiye’s EU membership during his speech on Victory Day. “I had the privilege of serving as Estonia’s Ambassador to the European Union at the time Türkiye began negotiations with the EU in 2005. From Estonia’s perspective, the goal of these negotiations has always been full membership,” he said.
Estonia’s Victory Day was celebrated with a reception held at Sur Balık. The event was hosted by Estonia’s Ambassador to Ankara Väino Reinart and his spouse Kaire Jürgenson. Many ambassadors, foreign mission representatives, and guests attended the reception. In his speech, Ambassador Reinart also commented on developments in the Middle East and the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. He stated that Russia’s aggressive stance poses a threat to European security, saying: “This war has presented the most serious threat to both European security and the world order as we know and cherish it since the end of the Cold War. The situation in the Middle East is also a shared concern of ours. Estonia calls for the continuation of diplomatic efforts to end hostilities in the region and to prevent further escalation. We are deeply saddened by the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Lebanon. Humanitarian aid must reach everyone in need. A lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East is only possible through a two-state solution based on international law.”
LARGEST DEFENSE PROCUREMENT FROM TÜRKİYE
Reinart emphasized the significant cooperation between Türkiye and Estonia in the field of defense. He noted that Estonia had purchased over 200 new armored personnel carriers from Turkish defense companies and said: “This procurement is the largest defense purchase ever made by the Estonian Armed Forces, exceeding 200 million euros. Some of these vehicles have already arrived in Estonia, where they have been very well received by our forces and were actively used during ‘Kirpi,’ the largest military exercise in Estonia’s history, held in May.”
ESTONIA SUPPORTS TÜRKİYE’S FULL EU MEMBERSHIP
Ambassador Reinart further stressed the need for Türkiye’s full integration into the European Union: “On a personal note, I would like to add that I had the privilege of serving as Estonia’s Ambassador to the European Union when Türkiye began accession negotiations with the EU in 2005. From Estonia’s perspective, the goal of these negotiations has always been full membership. We have come a long way together. As an old Turkish proverb says: ‘Friendship is like a tree; it takes years to grow.’”
